With increasing energy costs, consumers and business owners alike are becoming more energy conscience. These consumers are demanding more energy efficiency from the products that they purchase. In response, many manufacturers have responded by producing products that are more energy efficient, and products that have energy saving modes of operation that allow additional energy savings when not in use. However, since many such energy saving modes inhibit the operation of the product until it can re-enter a fully functional mode of operation, such products generally allow the consumer to set or command when such energy saving modes are entered.
One product that is used in nearly every dwelling and building, and therefore allows the potential for tremendous energy savings, is a water heater. A water heater, in simplified terms, includes a large water storage tank and a heating element that is used to heat the water in the tank to a preset temperature. This preset temperature may be adjusted by a user via an onboard thermostat. Once a desired temperature is set, most consumers do not give their water heater another thought, as long as hot water is always available when desired.
Since the water heater works to maintain the water in its storage tank at the preset temperature, these water heaters are designed with efficient insulation to minimize heat loss to the ambient to minimize energy consumption. Many water heaters also include an energy savings mode that may be set by the consumer. This energy saving mode allows the temperature of the water in the storage tank to drop to a level, e.g. 68° Fahrenheit, so as to reduce the energy usage of the water heater. In this way, the water in the storage tank will not freeze and the energy usage of the water heater will be reduced. This mode is meant to be used during extended periods of non-use, such as for summer homes or when a family is on vacation. Unfortunately, while most consumers think to turn back the main heating/air conditioning thermostat when they are going to be gone, many consumers never think to set the water heater into this mode. This may be because the water heater and its onboard thermostat are typically located in a basement or other infrequently accessed area. As a result, these consumers needlessly incur energy costs associated with maintaining the temperature in the water heater at the preset temperature, ready for use.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a system and method of setting a water heater into its energy saving mode of operation without requiring the consumer to access the onboard thermostat on the water heater.